🫧Bubbles🫧 | DNF

🫧 Chapter 1 🫧

"Worry often gives a small thing a great shadow."
— Unknown

New people. There's something George really despised, and it was just that. A new person, getting in the way of everyone's routines and not understanding the mechanics of how things worked.

George was content with the feeling of being in the shadows. No one ever paid attention to him. Not his classmates, not the teachers. He did well in homework and tests, and they left him alone. George was more than content with that.

While he hated socializing, he liked observing. He created lists of information about each person. He knew who to avoid, who wouldn't approach him, who had what grades, who went to which club after school, who would pay no attention to him.

So of course, George didn't even need to quietly observe to learn that the new kid at his school was the polar opposite of George. Tall. Funny. Outgoing. Had tons of people flocking him and saying hi. He's been in this school for less than a week and he was already friends with nearly all his classmates and people from the entire grade. And worst of all... he was a football guy. It just heightened his seemingly endless popularity.

George despised him. He quickly understood he wanted nothing to do with this kid, who, on top of it all, called himself Dream instead of using his actual name. George refused to acknowledge it, and referred to him the way Dream should: Clay.

George didn't even realize it as Clay took up his whole mind. His hatred for him. George didn't dare look at his face. He frankly didn't know what people's eyes looked like — he's never looked someone in the eye before. All he was brave enough to do was lift his eyes high enough to see that million dollar smile on his face, full of enthusiasm and joy. There was a small piece of him that was thankful for Clay, for the fact that 100% of everyone's attention was diverted from the quiet kid that spoke to no one; it still didn't make him feel any less infuriated with the boy with seemingly flawless blond curls and fit body structure.

George was snapped out of the trance of his Dreamland as the bell rang. George was pleased that it did; he didn't like algebra much anyway. "Too many letters" he'd always said to himself.

George quickly gathered his stuff and lingered around in the back to get out without suffocating with the other students. They always wanted to fight to the death to get out of the classroom first, for some reason. First came out the kids that were getting on their buses, next the kids going to after school clubs started to push through...

"You aren't in a rush to leave?" George's neck quickly snapped to his right in terror. Someone was talking to him. He considered lying to Clay's face and faking being mute, but admittedly, George did speak out when his name was called for attendance. He hasn't talked all day. There wasn't a need to, so he knew his voice was hoarse. George just shook his head and stubbornly stared straight ahead of him. His bubble will protect him. His bubble will protect him. It will protect him. It always does.

George eyed the door and prayed for the rest of the kids to trickle out the room faster. The people getting picked up by parents and the ones that walked to school were coming out next...

"You don't like crowds then? I get that. I've noticed you're always glooming around in the background and just wanted to say hi! What's your name?"

George felt the side of his nose twitch. He picked up his backpack and waved Clay off.

For a second, he felt the confidence to say something to him, to just say bye, or gotta go, but he ultimately chose to just give Clay a half-assed wave. George didn't even bother to look at him as he walked out.